Hefei

Hefei (/ˈhəˈfeɪ/), formerly known as Hofei, Luzhou, or Luchow, is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Located in the central portion of the province, it borders Huainan to the north, Chuzhou to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an to the west.

Hefei has an area of 11,434.25 km² (4,414.79 sq mi) and, at the 2013 census, a population of 7,611,000 inhabitants. Its built-up area ("metro") was home to 5,031,123 inhabitants at the 2010 census encompassing all urban districts and Feidong and Feixi counties largely being urbanized.

History

From the 8th to the 6th century BC, Hefei was the site of many small states, later a part of the Chu kingdom. Many archaeological finds dating from this period have been made. The name Hefei was first given to the county set up in the area under the Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC. During the 4th to the 6th century AD, this crucial border region between northern and southern states was much fought over; its name and administrative status were consequently often changed. During the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) periods, it became the seat of Lu prefecture—a title it kept until the 15th century, when it became a superior prefecture named Luzhou.